Reasons behind the delay of GOSS reshuffle
By Gatkuoth Deng
April 13, 2009 — It was since last year in May after the convening of the 2nd SPLM National Convention in Juba that wide spread speculations involving senior government officials suggested there was an imminent reshuffle of Ministerial positions in the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). This was after the newly appointed SPLM Political Bureau, which is the ruling party in GOSS, met and felt there was need to overhaul the government based on the transformation principle and new spirit adopted in the Convention.
Day after day, week after week, month after month, South Sudanese who have been monitoring the political developments inside Sudan and here abroad have been waiting for the day to reshape the shape of GOSS. This is by removing corrupt officials and replacing them with less corrupt while considering the regional balance in representation as the SPLM principle and putting the right person in the right position.
Unfortunately, the reshuffle could not take place. Why? Sources close to the office of the President in Juba reveal that there have been disagreements between the President and his Vice over the proposed representations. Sources said these were mainly over regional/ethnic representation in addition to personalities that should occupy such respective positions.
Constitutionally, President General Salva Kiir and his deputy Dr. Riek Machar are to consult on formation of the government or appointment of figures to hold ministerial positions before the President issues a decree to that effect. Sources indicate that during their consultations since last year, they could not come to an agreement on allocation of positions. The President wants to keep almost the status quo in terms of representation by just replacing figures with the same colleagues from the same region or tribe.
The Vice President rejected such a proposal and demanded that the ministerial positions be divided almost equally among the three Greater Regions of Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal. Sources say with respect to the security sector and finance which include Ministry for Defense (SPLA Affairs), Ministry for Interior and Ministry for Finance, the Vice President’s view was to divide them into the three regions. Currently they are all occupied by one region, and that is Bahre el Ghazal.
President Kiir wants the key security sector positions plus the finance to be controlled by Greater Bahr el Ghazal. Funny enough, he seems to have also allocated them as permanent positions to specific states of Greater Bahr el Ghazal. For instance, the Minister for Internal Affairs, Paul Mayom Akech is from Lakes state. He was replacing Daniel Awet Akot from the same Lakes state who was removed in a reshuffle more than two years ago and is now the Governor of Lakes state. The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Kuol Athian Mawien, is from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state. He was replacing Arthur Akwen Chol from the same Northern Bahr el Ghazal state after the latter was removed on corruption charges. The current Minister for Defense (SPLA Affairs), Nhial Deng Nhial is from Warrap state (Salva Kiir’s home state).. He was replacing the former late Dominic Dim Deng who came from the same Warrap state.
When it comes to ethnicity, Salva Kiir makes sure that his Dinka ethnic group is over-represented in the GOSS. The two leaders also disagree on who is best qualified for which ministerial position. This recurring situation is similar to the one the two leaders faced in 2005 when the government was initially formed. The President rejected the views of his Vice and instead took the advices of late Dr. Justin Yac Arop on how the portfolios were to be divided. At that time Dr. Riek Machar gave in to General Salva Kiir to avoid any deepening conflict. He also wanted to give the President the benefit of the doubt if his chosen team was going to govern GOSS fairly and successfully. The result is now clear to any body who can evaluate the situation. Instead of learning from his past mistakes which have dragged the GOSS to near collapse in terms of the triple crisis such as the security, political and economic crisis, sources reveal that he is at it again this time.
Most of the people here in the Diaspora were hoping that the 2nd SPLM National Convention, which succeeded despite attempted and failed conspiracies against individuals leaders, would have been the beginning of a real change in the SPLM-ruling GOSS. Our delegates went to South Sudan to actively participate in a positive change. We were made to believe that the SPLM was serious particularly when it also embarked on carrying out elections at the grass root levels in its various Congresses in states and counties before the Convention took place in Juba in May 2008. It was unfortunate that the party elections were just valueless exercises without implementation of their outcomes when those voted out governors in Unity and Eastern Equatoria states were not shown the door out of governorship.
To me, I thought the SPLM wanted to have strong bases at the grass roots by installing its popular leaders to lead the people towards the coming elections in order to win the elections and deliver its renewed promises to the people. It became clear that this was the position of the SPLM to remove governors who lost the party elections as articulated by James Wani Igga when he made it clear in the media that SPLM would not keep governors that lost the elections. But who is keeping them in office up to this point?
President Kiir should respect and abide by the Constitutions and principles of either GOSS or SPLM. It is evident that he has surrounded himself with unpopular politicians who have no grass root bases and use his directionless administration to survive on. He has turned the blind eye and deaf ear on those who positively try to advise him on important issues and decisions the government must take in order to avoid or minimize corruption, tribalism and incompetence all summarized in the triple crisis.
The author is living in New York, USA. He can be reached at: [email protected]
Gatwech
Reasons behind the delay of GOSS reshuffle
Gatkuoth Deng,
You are right! Most people on the ground here in South Sudan know what is taking place on daily basis. We know what causes such delays in the reshuffle. There are sharp disagreements between General Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar on how to govern South Sudan. This disagreement has been going on since formation of government in 2005. As you said, Machar gave in to the President’s rulings and this has been the failure of government. Corruption, tribalism and incompetence as you correctly said resulted to the Salva Kiir’s way of governing the South. Dr. Riek Machar should not give in to Salva Kiir’s incompetence ways this time. He should insist on the right thing to do since he has already tried Salva Kiir’s ways which have become a failure to the government. Reshuffle must be done in the right way.
Othogomoi
Reasons behind the delay of GOSS reshuffle
this is clear demonstration that the Equartorians are being marginalised,and they are not going to be like,since they gave their land to be used as a battle fields, and they are the victims of victims of the civil war.do you(salva Kir)that they are going to keep quiet like forever.
now you are doing corruptions,tribalism,nepotism and you don`t know that you are in the land of Equartoria regions.soon they demand your corrupted government out of their territory,where will you go ?
since you are well known for killing,looting and stealing.how many Goss vehicles stolen and found in Jongole state,unity state and warrap state.many motor bykes stolen from census commission offices are found in Bor,these are the evidnce.vehicles stolen from Ministry of interior compound are found in warrap rumbek and no body questioned them, any body knows about it.
you are not a shame of all these,after all you have grabbing poor people lands in Juba,nobody talk about it,while stealing public fund,all these must come to end.
we the son of Equartoria are not afraid of war,but the day we start fighting people in our land will be terrible day in Sudan,even flies will not be allowed live.
take care we are watching you and monitor any step you taking.
soon everythings will come to end
take care
patrick william
Reasons behind the delay of GOSS reshuffle
SPLM party leaders used to speak about Democtratic Transformation at any press,rally,forum….etc
But truely it is undemoctratic party base on the ground.
Mr Gatkuoth Deng it’s not the reason why delaying but its why they fear from their Post!
SPLM is divide within those with Clear Vission and those with no Vission and those no Vission are in the Power,this is where problem started!
Some think that SPLM is genetic transmission,some resist to handle the posts because they don’t have any alternative due to lack of professional jobs.
if any can observe he/she will discover that those with clear Vission are politically motivated so as to dirt their names.
Silva Kiir doesn’t have differences with Mr Riak the problem is that some fake figures in right hand of Silva are the one using Mr President.
We need the right people in the right place event the president say this before and he must work on it.